As we try to organize our co-workers, a big question is “Who makes the decisions about the work we do?” We have to know the structure of a workplace so that we can look for leverage that will pressure the people in control, not just the ones we see every day at work.
Why Power Mapping Matters
Our demands often center around two major themes: money and working conditions. Different people in the structure of our workplace may make the decisions that can satisfy our demands — or try to block them. The structures in the public sector and in nonprofit organizations can get especially complicated, so break them down to create real targets. After all, if you and your co-workers can win on small issues, you can turn that confidence into bigger victories like union recognition and a contract. As you increase the size of union supporters, many of them will be impressed by small victories and will support the union to get bigger ones.
The important part of organizing is winning, and winning means figuring out how to pressure the employer in ways that make them feel the pain. This doesn’t always mean going on strike.
Power Mapping Targets
Knowing who makes the decisions can help you organize strategically in ways that contribute to building the new union. Confront your supervisor with a demand — maybe a petition or even a demonstration — and they may throw up their hands and plead “it’s above me.” So, ask them: Who is above you that makes this decision, and how do we get to them? It’s sometimes easy, and certainly frustrating, to get bounced around when you are trying to show that organizing a union can make a real difference in your workplace.
When it comes to pay, for example, there will be someone who signs our checks, but that’s not generally the key decision-maker around salaries. In large private-sector unions, like UNITE-HERE, there is a sophisticated research department to track ownership, which is often hidden through private equity groups and global investors.
The structures in the public sector and in nonprofit organizations can get especially complicated, so breaking them down to create real targets is so important.
Public-Sector Power Mapping
Meanwhile, in the public sector, elected officials are the boss, so starting political campaigns and recruiting candidates is important. If you work in a small area, look around for other public workers to build a solidarity coalition that can shift political power — and get better raises and conditions for your members. Getting one of your members elected is a great way to select your own boss.
One important issue is timing. One public-sector worker I spoke with suggested setting the timing of negotiations so that a new contract is settled before the agency asks for funding. This way, all raises included in a contract will be budgeted for. In one case, the previous contract was settled after the budget was finished, so the officials claimed that no money was available for raises. Most importantly, the members of this union learned from a bad experience and changed their strategy accordingly.
Nonprofit Organization Power Mapping
The nonprofit sector is the scene of a lot of new organizing lately. Public documents about the organization, like an IRS form 990, often lists the board of directors. Go through this list of directors to see if there are any you can pressure — publicly or privately — into supporting the union’s demands. Documents like these will also show you how the money is raised and how it is spent, so you can look at ways to get more for your members and supporters. In many nonprofits, workers are often surprised and shocked to see the high salaries of the executives, who are both doing good and doing well. Tell the directors that you want existing funds to be reallocated in a socially responsible way, while also looking at ways to raise new funding.
In all of these different workplaces and industries, knowing who makes the decisions that affect you is vital because you want to confront the people with power and not just their stooges. Having a sense of the decision-makers in a workplace can ensure that you’re fighting strategically — and building power as you do it.
Bill Barry’s “From First Contact To First Contract: A Union Organizer’s Handbook” has just been re-released. It is available through Labor’s Bookstore.
